Brachyura
Sign in to savethumb|Gecarcinus quadratus, a [[land crab from Central America]]
AI overview
Brachyura is the scientific group that includes all true crabs, which are crustaceans found in oceans, freshwater, and on land around the world. Understanding crabs matters because they play important roles in their ecosystems, serve as food sources for humans and wildlife, and provide insights into how animals adapt to different environments.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassMalacostraca
- OrderDecapoda
- FamilyBrachyura
via GBIF · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Pleocyemata
- Image
- Goneplax rhomboides 2.jpg
Show 4 more facts
- P105
- infraorder
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Biology
- Description
- Life cycle
- Behaviour
- Evolution
- Fossil history
- Taxonomic history
- External phylogeny
- Internal phylogeny
- Families
- Human consumption
- Fisheries
- Crabs as food
- Cultural influences
- References
thumb|Gecarcinus quadratus, a [[land crab from Central America]]
Brachyura is an infraorder of decapod crustaceans comprising the true crabs. They typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the thorax. Their exoskeleton is often thickened and hard. They generally have five pairs of legs, and the frontmost pair end in chelae, which function as pincers. They are present in all the world's oceans, in freshwater, and on land, often hiding themselves in small crevices or burrowing into sediment. True crabs are omnivores, feeding on a variety of food, including a significant proportion of algae, as well as detritus and other invertebrates. True crabs are widely consumed by humans as food, with over 1.5 million tonnes caught annually.